Flying apparatus.



P, F. DEGN.

FLYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 00126, 1908.

Patented May 25, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

P. F. DEGN. FLYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED O0T.G, 1908.

Patented May 25, 1909.

2 s11 HHHHHHHHH 2.

PAUL FREDERIK DEGN,

PATENT OFFICE.

or BREMEN, GERMANY.

FLYING APPARATUS.

Application filed October 6,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1909.

1908. Serial No. 466,484.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL-FREDERIK DEGN, graduated engineer, and a subject of the German Emperor, residing at 3 \Vilhadistrasse, in the city of Bremen, in the German Empire, have invented a certain new and useful Flying A paratus, of which the following is a speci cation.

In those kinds of flying apparatus the supporting faces of which consist of air screws with vertical shafts, and where there is a component of motion, working horizontally in relation to the surrounding air, those wings which at any moment are advancing in the direction of flight, possess a velocity, increased by the amount of the horizontal movement, while the velocity of the wings, the movement of which is opposed to the direction of flight, with respect to the air, is reduced by the same amount, as would result from the speed of revolution of the screws or propellers. This fact produces the effect that the upward pressure of those wings which reciprocate in the direction of flight, is much greater, than the upward ressure of the wings, moving inversely. lvhen the wings of the air propellers are made of thin material which acquires its tension only by the action of centrifugal force, the wings perform an undulating, fluttering movement in consequence of the difference of u ward pressures, and produce considerab e bending strains in the axis of rotation.

The invention hereinafter described, is intended, to dispense with this difference of upward ressures of the wings of a propeller and wit 1 the injurious actions resulting therefrom. With this end in View the forward or entering edge of the win s is con nected to the shaft by means of a onger lever, than the rear or leaving edge. The connection of the last mentioned edge With the shaft is effected preferabl by means of as small a lever arm, as possib e, for instance by a sleeve, mounted upon the axis of rotation. Thus, when by the action of the increased upward pressure, the wing which 0 crates in the direction of flight is raised, t e angle of ascension of the same is reduced, so that the increase of upward pressure of the wing is considerably less, than would result from the velocity of the wing relatively to the air, when the ratio of ascension is not changed. When the wing which moves in the opposite direction, is lowered, the an le of ascension of the wing is increased, an the upward pressure is therefore reduced only little accordingly. This manner of securing the wings, results in an additional advantage, in case the driving motor should refuse to work during the flight from any reason whatever.

The connection between the motor or the motors and the propellers may be constructed in such a manner, by means of a ratchet and pawl connection for instance, that the propellers are automatically uncoupled from the motor, when the motor stops, or the number of revolutions of the same is reduced below a certain definite limit, the propellers retaining thereby their rotation by means of the energy of movement which they still possess. However, the velocity of rotation of the propellers is soon decreased, and consequently the tension of the wings also. This results in the raising of the win s in relation to the flying apparatus whicr commences to descend, the leaving or rear edge of the wings being raised quicker than the entering edge, so that after some time the leaving or rear edge is higher than the entering edge. The resistance of the air of the descending flying apparatus which acts from below, now continues to rotate the propellers in the same direction, as was previ ously effected by the motor. After some time, the state of equilibrium is attained; the speed of rotation of the propellers decreasing no more. Hence, the wings retain their tension by means of centrifugal force, and the flying apparatus drops down to the ground from any height deslred, and with but moderate velocity. The state of equilibrium is attained at a velocity which is the more hi h, the more the resistances are diminishe which the win s have to overcome in their movement. T e most noticeable resistance is the front resistance of the preceding wing edge. In order to reduce this resistance to the lowest amount, and furthermore, in order to prevent the t'urnin over the wing edges, the latter are provide with suitable braces.

By securing the entering edges of the wings to a Wheel, which presents a number of constructional advantages, the rear or leaving edge strikes against the rim of the wheel, when the motor refuses to work, so that the said edge cannot be raised higher at this point, than the entering edge. In order however, to cause the propellers to assume the inverse inclination upon the stopping ofthe motor, so that they we kept rotating by the resistance of the air, the weights of the wings are distributed in such a manner, that the tension of the air entering edge becomes larger than that of the air leaving edge. The somewhat lower tension of the caving edge presents the additional advantage, that the angle of ascension of, the wing is decreased from the axis of rotation toward the outer ed e which is very favorable for the efficiency, t at isto say for the ratio of available upward pressure to the amount of work produced.

The sleeves to which the air leaving edges of the wings are secured, are dis laceably arranged upon the shaft. By a isplacement of t c said sleeves, the degree of ascension of the propellers is increased or diminished, and consequentl the force, necessary for the rotation of t e propellers also. When the forces, required for the rotation of the two propellers, working in opposite directions, are e ual, the gon ola W necte the motor, does not erform any rotating movement. In case owever, the rotating resistance of one of the propellers is larger, the gondola is turned in the opposite dlrection. The sleeves may be displaced from the gondola, by means of wire ropes for instance, and in such a manner, that the sleeve of one of thepropellers is lowered, while that of the other pro eller is raised. Thus, the o erator is entire y at liberty,.to turn or oscl ate the gondola at will, orto ride straight ahead, and to effect com lete steerin without the use of a steering ru der. On 1; e accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 shows a vertical section through a flying apparatus, according to my invention, the apparatus being shown to fly-toward the o ooker; Figs. 2 to 4 illustrate different forms of construction of the air propellers; 5 shows the inclination of the outer edges of the wings; Fig. 6 is a top view of the gondola; Fig. 7 illustrates the ratchet-pawl coupling between the motor and the propellers.

As will be seen from Fig.- 1, the tubular concentric shafts 1 and 2 are provided with wheels 3 which are preferably constructed in the manner of cycle wheels. To these wheels the air enterin edges 4 of the wings are connected, while t e air leaving edges 5 of the wings are connected to the sleeves 6 and 7 by means of the cords 8. As follows from Fig. 1 by the lifting of one wing, the angle of ascension of the same, is immedlately decreased. The left wing of the upper propeller, and theright hand wing of t e lower propeller move in the direction of flight, so as to be somewhat raised, in consequence thereof the an le of ascension has become smaller than t at of the two other win s.

The broken lines indicate the position of t e wings, when the apparatus drops to the motor.

ch is rigidly con-- ground he two motors 9 operate the two shafts in opposite directions by means of four bevel w eels 10. Between the motors and the bevel wheels ratchet pawl couplings 11 are inserted in such a manner (Fig. 7), as to enable the propellersto continue their rotation in the same direction, when the motor should hap en to run too slowly or stops suddenly. o the yoke 12 which contains the journals for the shafts and for the pivots of the bevel wheels, the motors and the gondola 13 are rigidly secured. The sleeves 6 and 7 may be displaced from the platform of the gondola b means of the pit man rod 14, the yoke 15, t e cord 16, and the guide rollers 17. Thus, when the operator who is posted upon the gondola, and between t e two parallel ends of the cord, moves the cord for instance in the direction of the right hand arrow I (Fig. 6), the sleeve 6 is moved downward, while the sleeve 7 is moved upward, the gondola being rotated in the direction of the arrow II.

In the form of construction of the air ropellers,'in accordance with Fig. 2, the wlngs are braced by means of thin triangular pieces 18 of metal for the urpose of reducing the front resistance, an of reventing the turning over of the edges of tl fe wings, while the tension of the air entering edge of the wing increases by making the outer ends of the wings from a trapezoidal piece of sheet metal 19, the broader side of which presents the preceding edge. Instead of the triangularpieces of sheet metal 18, needles 20 may also be used for the bracing of the wing edges (Fig. '3). By this means the effect is produced, that the bending strains, occurring upon the starting of the airpropellers, or

I caused by the action of the wind, when the apparatus stops, in consequence of the fluttering of the wings, are distributed more uniformly'upon the entire wing edge, while in the form of construction according to Fig. 2 these strains are chiefly transmitted upon the points between the pieces of sheet metal, thereby causing danger to the wings by rapid wear, after being used for some time. As also appears from Fig. 3, the air leavin and the air entering edges of each two a joining wings 21 may be connected by a rope or by a chain 22. But it is also possible of course, to employ several ropes or chains instead of one. When the air propeller is now turned, the ropes or chains 22 are projected outward by the action of centrifu al force, so as to be put under tension. By t is means however, they effect a pull in the direction of the periphery upon the wings 21,

so that the wings are put under tension and made taut, so as to prevent the injurious fluttering of the same.

By securing the rope or the chain in a suitable manner, it becomes also possible, to

i lpon the refusing to work of the A ascension resulting from the blade angle shown in the figure, and the amount of which will of course be dependent upon said lever arm.

What I claim, and desire to secure my Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a flying apparatus, a rotatable shaft, :1 yielding Wing, first means for connecting the air entering edge of the wing to the shaft, and second means for connecting the air leaving edge of said wing to the shaft, the first means having a greater leverage than the second means.

2. In a flying apparatus, a pair of concentric shafts, means for rotating said shafts in opposite directions, a set of yielding Wings for each, of said shafts, means for connecting the air entering edge of each Wing to its shaft, and means for connecting the air leaving edge of each wing to its shaft, the first-named means having a greater leverage than the second-named means.

3. In a flying apparatus, a rotatable shaft, a wheel and a sleeve mounted thereon, the wheel being of greater diameter than the sleeve, a wing, means for connecting the air entering edge of said Wing to the wheel, and means for connecting the air leaving edge of said wing to the sleeve.

4. In a flving apparatus, a rotatable shaft, a set of yielding wings, first means for connecting the air entering edges of said wings to said shaft, second means for connectin the air leaving edges of said wings to said shaft, the first means having a. greater leverage than the second means, and means for connecting the air entering edge of one Wing with the air leaving edge of the adjoining wing.

5. In a flying apparatus, a rotatable shaft, a yielding wing having an outer sheet metal rim, first means for connecting the air enter ing edge of the Wing to the shaft, and second means for connecting the air leaving edge of said. wing to the shaft, the first means having a greater leverage than the second means.

6. In a flying apparatus, a rotatable shaft, a yielding Wing having a reinforced air enter- I ing edge and a reinforced air leaving edge, first means for connectlng the an entermg edge of the wing to the shaft, and second means for connecting the air leaving edge of said wing to the shaft, the first means having a greater leverage than the second means.

7. In a-flying apparatus, a motor, a shaft, a pawl and ratchet coupling between motor and shaft, a yielding Wing, first means for connecting the air entering edge of the Wing to the shaft, and second means for connecting the air leaving edge of said wing to the shaft, the first means having a greater leverage than the second means.

Signed by me at Bremen, Germany, this 23rd day of September 1908.

PAUL FREDER'IK DEGN.

Witnesses FERDINAN REIoH, FREDERICK HOYERMANN. 

